Zinédine Zidane begins rebuilding France’s full-back options after two starts against Belgium and Italy

Juventus’s right-back started against Belgium last Monday, in a 1-0 win, and then against Italy on Friday, in a 1-1 draw. He took the place of Jules Koundé, a senior player currently going through a difficult spell. The selections reflect Zinédine Zidane’s effort to refresh France’s options at full-back.

For his first international break as head coach, Zidane called up players with limited experience in those positions. Concerned about the lack of depth among French players there, he also approached Gérald Baticle and Bernard Diomède, coaches of the under-21 and under-20 teams, asking them to try players in those roles. Work on the flanks has become a tangible part of his approach.

Zidane had already made bold choices when announcing his squad for his first camp in charge of France. The Barcelona player, meanwhile, sees competition as a positive: “It’s a source of motivation, confirms the former Bordeaux player. When you’re with the France team or at your club, you can’t rest on your laurels.” He also linked his reduced club playing time to last season, which he described as “far below my standards”, adding that he was happy to accept the challenge.

A Bournemouth full-back, who started against Turkey and Italy, fits his coach’s expectations. After the first match of the break, a 24-year-old player summed up the instruction: “The coach asks the full-backs to be very attacking,” before adding: “I think that also suits my qualities.”